The metabolomic signature of extreme longevity

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is characterized by a more than tenfold higher life expectancy compared to another rodent species of the same size, namely, the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus).

“Spermidine is known to induce autophagy in multiple model organisms including mice, and autophagy induction accounts for its lifespan-extending effects.”

The age-associated decline in spermidine and N1-acetylspermidine levels observed in laboratory mice did not occur in naked mole-rats.

This 2019 study concluded that higher spermidine levels could be a factor that allow naked mole rats to have a longer lifespan than laboratory mice.